THE FINISHING SCHOOL

Two girls at a tony New York prep school die of an apparent drug overdose, threatening the smarmy headmistress's fundraising plans and her romance with the father of one of the victims. It's up to prosecuting attorney Melanie Vargas to sort things out in the midst of a complicated personal life. Anne Twomey is good at bringing out the shallowness of most of the players (maybe some depth was lost in the abridgment), as well as Vargas's confused emotions. Only a Hispanic janitor and his daughters truly engage the listener's sympathy. If you like suspense that is heavy on action, light on subtlety, this is for you. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]